UK restaurants adopt US-style tipping—but is it fair for staff and diners?
The Daily Mail columnist and radio host said he was publicly humiliated after handing a restaurant server $150 (£110) in cash - 15 per cent of the bill - only to be challenged loudly at his table.
It comes after celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay provoked criticism for adding a 20 per cent service charge to bills at his upmarket Lucky Cat restaurant in London.
Mr Neil said he was hosting friends and contacts at a 'rather fancy and expensive' eatery in New York in 2012 when he was 'upbraided' over his 15 per cent tip.
'The waiter came back in that aggressive New York way and said quite loudly, 'Was there something wrong with the meal or the service, Mr Neil?'
'I said no, it was fine. "Oh, because the tip is a bit light," he said. This was in front of everybody. It was embarrassing, so I rummaged in my pocket for more dollars and gave him a bigger tip.'
He said his guests were looking at him as this unfolded, and the waiter left 'without a word of thanks'.
'However, he was unlucky, because I happened to know the owner of that restaurant, and I called him later that night and [the waiter] was fired in the morning,' he said.
'Ever since then I've taken no nonsense from aggressive New York waiters. I'm from Paisley and can give as good, if not better than I get.
'Tips are war in New York restaurants. Stand up for yourself. Don't be mean but don't fall over in embarrassment when they behave badly.'
Mr Neil later learned the waiter had a 'track record' of such behaviour and said he 'didn't lose any sleep' over the incident.
He also urged people not to accept the American tipping culture in 'dear old Blighty'.
'Lots of things start in America and end up here,' he said. 'Lots of good things like smartphones and streaming television and great dramas, and lots of bad things like Black Friday and tipping.
'I can tell you that tipping is out of hand in America, particularly in the East Coast states and the big cities on the West Coast.'
Waiters in the US are frequently paid less than the general minimum wage in the expectation that they will make up their income with tips.
In New York, minimum wage for most workers is $17 (£12.50) an hour, but for food service staff it is $11.35 (£8.40). Employers are obliged to pay the difference only if staff fail to get enough tips.
However, bills and payment machines across the pond frequently suggest gratuity amounts of 20, 25 or even 30 per cent, and some American waiters on web forum Reddit claim to take home $100,000 (£74,000) a year.
Part of this culture is starting to seep into Britain, with card payment devices now requesting tips even at some takeaways. Standard restaurant service charges have also risen from 12.5 per cent to 15 per cent at many outlets since the pandemic.
TV consumer champion Martyn James said employers must pay their staff properly rather than expect customers to pay through the nose, because Britain will not tolerate a US-style tipping culture.
'As a society, British people are really quite generous, but there is a line,' he said. 'I think once tipping becomes a requirement or an obligation, British people can be equally stubborn, and we just won't do it at all.
'My personal feeling is the American style of tipping is never going to land in Britain because it's excessive and it's unfair. Demanding high tips is basically a tacit admission that you are underpaying your staff.
'At coffee shops and bars, it's somebody's job to make those drinks, so tips should not be applicable.'
He added that hidden service charges added to bar and takeaway bills are 'insidious', and that restaurant service charges should be highlighted in bold on bills so customers can easily see what they are paying for - and challenge it if necessary.
Speaking about 20 per cent charges like those at Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat, Mr James added: 'If I saw that on my bill, I would refuse to pay it. The fact that they presumed to do that on my behalf automatically means I'm annoyed. Big, expensive restaurants should pay their staff better. Don't subsidise your poor wages by over-charging customers.'
Some restauranteurs have previously blamed higher taxes and business costs imposed by the government for rising service charges.
The soaring popularity of contactless payments also means many no longer have cash to leave as a tip.
